Snowmobile races in Schroon Lake Feb. 9-10

SCHROON LAKE The Eastern Speed Association snowmobile race series will come to Schroon Lake Feb. 9 and 10. Ice drags will be held on the lake at the town boat launch. Registration will be 8-9:30 a.m. and racing will begin at 11 a.m. each day. Spectator tickets will be $5 a day for adults and $4 a day for children. The event is being sponsored locally by the Schroon Lake\North Hudson Snowmobile Club. These guys always do a good job in Schroon Lake, said Tom Kelly, president of the Eastern Speed Association. We set a world record at Schroon Lake a few years ago. Sleds run real well up there. In 2003 a world record was set when a racer reached 130 mph in an eighth of a mile, Kelly noted. Kelly said ESA has 70 classes of competition, ranging from novice amateurs to professional modifieds. Amateurs race for trophies, while professionals race for cash prizes and points toward the overall ESA championship. The ESA series has six stops, including one in Port Henry March 1 and 2. Last year there was an ESA event in Ticonderoga. Entry fees range from $20 for amateurs to $40 for professionals. For information call ESA at 315-598-4148 or Dwayne Anderson of the Schroon Lake\North Hudson Snowmobile Club at 532-9347. The Eastern Speed Association was formed in hopes of revitalizing snowmobile drag racing in the region. Its mission is to create, and then maintain, a new ice drag circuit. ESA applied for, and was granted, an International Snowmobile Racing affiliation in April 2000. ESAs goal is to promote and judge as many races as possible. Eastern Speed Association will follow general competition rules and equipment requirements and regulations as outlined by ISR in the current ISR rule book. All safety equipment required by ISR is required at all Eastern Speed Association events; in addition, neck braces and ear protection are recommended but not required. Drip pans will be required for fueling and cooling at all events. Eye protection is required in all pit areas. Entrants in the Open Lake Racer class must demonstrate their driving ability and a clear ability to control their machine before they will be allowed to race; the decision of the race director will be final. Amateur classes follow ISR stock sled rules. Here are some highlights: tether switches are required on all machines; full length skis are required; full suspension travel with no limits; full cooling system must be intact with no external cooling allowed; conventional trail studs are required; sleds must meet weight as listed; competitors must have OEM track for that model with no speed tracks allowed; and OEM stroke must be maintained.